Date: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 Time: 6:00pm 8:00pm Location: Raleigh Convention Center, Room 302 6:00pm 6:15pm 6:40pm 7:10pm 8:00pm Check-in, refreshments and browse project boards Programming Brainstorming Overarching Park Principles and plan review discussion A Day in the Life in the Park Park Program Discussion Meeting Close The meeting began with a welcome by Kate Pearce and she asked the table groups to discuss and list what activities they want to be sure are included in the park. Many of the ideas included plans that have been covered in the current master plan programmatic proposal. The following list is narrowed down from the 117 answers to highlight the more unique wants. Conservatory Observatory Swings for adults Firepits Dramatic entrance off Western Boulevard Bike fix station Grow food Have an outdoor meeting Pop-up dinner Daycare Sit on Porch Swim in saltwater pool Greenhouse Tent Camping Fireworks Solitude Wade-in Water Feature Community Wellness Center Landing Strip for RC Planes Stroller walking trails Outdoor Naps
Bounce on things Edible Landscape Gaming Space Skatepark Paint giant powerlines as people Sit in a café under an umbrella Cycling opportunities Pond for model boats Platform for astronomers Pearce showed a short presentation on the park principles and the six different proposed landscapes for the site. The six landscapes are: The Grove, The Creek, the Downtown Gateway, The Meadow, The Valley, and The Ridge. The table groups spent ten minutes discussing each of the six landscapes. Questions/comments from those conversations are below. The Creek Can you wade in the water? Could there be a nature center or at least hut along the creek area? The desire to be able to put toes in the water? Could there be a small dock by the pond so people can sit and let their feet hang over the water? Or big rock to sit on along the water edge? (see Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, SC) Could there be a rope swing into the pond area? Would the big pond be better suited in the grove area since it is a more reflective and quiet area? Where will the sunflower field go? History of the park has been understated? Is there enough parking by the sports fields? Have falling water to make sound that will dampen road noise Use university programs to incorporate interactive experiences Offer Small boats to rent out. Remote control rental boats Ensure area under landbridge is not deactivated. How would it be lit for safety, when would it close? Recreate the feeling of being a southerner in the creek o Mud playground, food forest The Valley Will sound pollution be an issue? Will the train noise disrupt concerts? Add an adult swing area. Swings are almost always made for children, but we adults want a place to swing. How were dog park areas determined? Is there enough back of house space for the amphitheater? Is it possible to have multiple stages so that the venue works for different scales?
Worried about people goofing off on trestle during performance Make sure audience space isn t angled too much so that the people are facing westward into the setting sun. Don t want to have the sun in their eyes. Add parking deck within trees to keep it looking kind of natural- have vines growing up the sides/living walls We like the grotto garden, but not sure of the name Need to use trolley throughout the park Please keep low income families in mind Look at Linda Jewel book on designing amphitheater space Skate park to get the skate boarders off the downtown streets The Ridge Some confusion around the terminus of the trestle would it be possible to see the event hall from the Ridge? Does seem like there are enough basketball and tennis courts Still too much parking in the heart of the park The high point of the sight needs to be a major point of draw, not parking (i.e. the Event Hub) Parking should be moved to the perimeters of the park and then have inter park transit Worried about equity piece of The Ridge. It seems like it may only appeal to the white, upper class Place for a historic cultural center? 25% hotel/hostel and 75% restaurants and places for co-working/public meetings, music space for rehearsals/practice No scooters or some restrictions on them Tram that goes through entire site. Should have lights along the promenade to bring it to life at night! Don t want to create zones of exclusivity with a hotel for the wealthy The Grove Have a Japanese Stroll Garden with vistas and hidden paths, rooms, or surprises Can you use the Harvey hill to move the water down to the creek, creating a waterfall? Add more gathering spaces Is it possible to protect (and perhaps create new) sight lines to downtown? The pool only makes sense to have if it is very distinct from other city pools in the area. Make it more natural like Barton Springs Pool in Austin, TX- additional image Desire to be lost in city forest Desire for other types of path surface materials Larger water feature Pitching Woo spots are good idea Prairie Ridge Eco station Control invasive species
Brick Cottages should have an interim use artist housing More off leash dog areas? Elevated boardwalk from park to union station along train right of way? The Meadow International Example of a great Grotto: Little Guilin in Singapore. Link to image Will the grotto mess up the connection to the Farmer s Market? Can you get in the water? It is a pipedream to have a prairie edge along a major festival grounds area like the big field. It will easily get trampled. All sports fields should be oriented North/South that way the sun isn t in the player s eyes Don t like how the meadow is narrowed- keep it big and wide This is a space unique to Raleigh so it should be emphasized Desire for a contemplative space by the cemetery Grotto café, private business mean revenue Need a destination midpoint- a tower or landing place Opportunities for sustainable dinning Add more seamless access to Farmer s Market Concern about cars circling and circling around the park as a major distraction Parking belongs on periphery of the park, not in the middle of the loop that protrudes into the big field area. Add more spaces to get food, snacks, drinks, water in the field area How does Dix become walkable from downtown? Something that grows with low maintenance landscape that doesn t overcome area Very clear informative signage please Need to focus on 3 or 4 age levels children, families, college, active older adults Dedicated dog park (fenced in?) Where is event parking? Ferris wheel or rock climbing at landscape pitches The Downtown Gateway No residential unless for city workers, teachers, apprenticeship, or artists in residency Can there be an adult playground area? Can there be a giant telescope on the trestle that is permeant? Entry should be a taste of what s in the center of the park Concern over masses of people going through the play area since it is supposed to be an entry point. Main path should be outside of playground Needs an iconic feature to bring people in Great area on the edge for parking Is there a way to bury the powerlines so they aren t such a prominent part of that edge?
No McMansions in Fuller Heights No tall buildings along Lake Wheeler Should have trolley dedicated to run from Convention Center to Dix Park Density credits for affordable housing Is the welcome center too far into the park? Should there be one at the Downtown Gateway? Fuller Heights needs denser redevelopment Groups concluded conversation, feedback was gathered, and the meeting adjourned.